Analytics assisted self-organizing-network (SON) for coverage capacity optimization (CCO)

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for adjusting configuration parameters, such as antenna tilt or transmit power, of a plurality of cells in a wireless network based on measurement reports received during a data collection period of the wireless network, so that coverage and capacity of the wireless network may be improved. Cell status labels or blames are assigned to each of the cells based on the measurement reports, and configuration parameters of the cells are adjusted based on the assigned cell status labels or blames.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for improving coverage and capacity of a wireless network having multiple cells, comprising:
 receiving one or more measurement reports associated with communications in the wireless network for at least one of the multiple cells during a first period;   assigning two or more status labels to a cell in the wireless network based on the one or more measurement reports, the two or more status labels associated with different cell status categories; and   instructing the cell to adjust an antenna tilt, a transmit power level, or both based on at least a combination of the two or more status labels, wherein the antenna tilt or transmit power level is used to communicate wireless signals in the cell during a second period.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the different cell status categories comprise at least one of a coverage status, an interference status, a quality status, and an overshooter status. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein instructing the cell to adjust an antenna tilt, a transmit power level, or both based on at least the combination of the two or more status labels comprises instructing the cell to adjust an antenna tilt, a transmit power level, or both based on the combination of the two or more status labels, and at least one of a current antenna tilt of the cell and a current reference signal power of the cell. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming includes instructions to:   receive one or more measurement reports associated with communications in a wireless network having multiple cells during a first period;   assign two or more status labels to a cell in the wireless network based on the one or more measurement reports, the two or more status labels associated with different cell status categories; and   instruct the cell to adjust an antenna tilt, a transmit power level, or both, based on at least a combination of the two or more status labels, wherein the adjusted antennal tilt or transmit power level is used to communicate wireless signals in the cell during a second period.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the different cell status categories comprise at least one of a coverage status, an interference status, a quality status, and an overshooter status. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the antenna tilt or the transmit power level is adjusted based on the combination of the two or more status labels, and at least one of a current antenna tilt of the cell and a current reference signal power of the cell. 
     
     
         7 . A method, comprising:
 identifying measurement reports each of which fails to satisfy a performance criteria for a wireless network, the measurement reports being generated in the wireless network during a first period, each of the measurement reports being associated with a unit of blame;   assigning, for each of the measurement reports, fractional units of blame to cells in the wireless network; and   instructing at least one of the cells to adjust at least one parameter based on the fractional units of blame assigned to the at least one of the cells, the at least one parameter being used to communicate wireless signals in the at least one of the cells.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the performance criteria is satisfied when a measure of reference signal strength included in a corresponding measurement report is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the performance criteria is satisfied when a measure of reference signal quality included in a corresponding measurement report is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the fractional units of blame are assigned to the cells based on information included in a corresponding measurement report. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises an antenna tilt. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises a transmit power. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the fractional units of blame are classified into different blame categories, the different blame categories indicating different manners to adjust the at least one parameter in order to reduce the fractional units of blame. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 calculating, for each of the cells, a sub-total blame corresponding to each of the different blame categories, by summing the fractional units of blame that are assigned to a corresponding cell and fall into a corresponding blame category, thereby obtaining sub-total blame values corresponding to the different blame categories for each of the cells.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein instructing the at least one of the cells to adjust the at least one parameter comprises instructing the at least one of the cells to adjust the at least one parameter based on the sub-total blame values of the at least one of the cells. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the fractional units of blame are classified into an up-blame or a down-blame, the up-blame or the down-blame indicating that an increase or a decrease of the at least one parameter is desired in order to reduce the fractional units of blame. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 calculating a sub-total up-blame value and a sub-total down-blame value for each of the cells, using the up-blame fractional units of blame and the down-blame fractional units of blame assigned to a corresponding cell, respectively;   calculating a total blame value for each of the cells, using the fractional units of blame assigned to a corresponding cell;   calculating an up-action probability for each of the cells, by dividing the total blame value of a corresponding cell by the sub-total up-blame value of the corresponding cell; and   calculating a down-action probability for each of the cells, using the up-action probability of a corresponding cell; and   wherein the up-action probability or the down-action probability of each of the cells indicates a probability of a need to increase or decrease the at least one parameter of a corresponding cell.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein instructing the at least one of the cells to adjust the at least one parameter comprises instructing the at least one of the cells to:
 increase the at least one parameter when the up-action probability of the at least one of the cells is greater than a first threshold; and   decrease the at least one parameter when the down-action probability of the at least one of the cells is greater than a second threshold.   
     
     
         19 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming includes instructions to:   identify measurement reports each of which fails to satisfy a performance criteria for a wireless network, the measurement reports being generated in the wireless network during a first period, each of the measurement reports being associated with a unit of blame;   assign, for each of the measurement reports, fractional units of blame to cells in the wireless network; and   instruct at least one of the cells to adjust one or more parameters based on the fractional units of blame assigned to the at least one of the cells, the one or more parameters being used to communicate wireless signals in the at least one of the cells.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the performance criteria is satisfied when a measure of reference signal strength included in a corresponding measurement report is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the performance criteria is satisfied when a measure of reference signal quality included in a corresponding measurement report is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the fractional units of blame are assigned to the cells based on information included in a corresponding measurement report. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise an antenna tilt. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise a transmit power level. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the fractional units of blame are classified into different blame categories associated with different manners to adjust the one or more parameters. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the programming comprises further instructions to:
 calculate, for each of the cells, a sub-total blame corresponding to each of the different blame categories by summing the fractional units of blame that are assigned to a corresponding cell and fall into a corresponding blame category, thereby obtaining sub-total blame values corresponding to the different blame categories for each of the cells.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more parameters are adjusted based on the sub-total blame values of the at least one of the cells.